I need to loosen up my wrists to play faster.

I'm having trouble with faster playing because whenever i get to the fast parts my wrists tense up and I don;t play as fast. This especially happens during the last parts of the tapping portion of eruption. Any Tips?

Don't tense up your wrist

Originally Posted by: KlokateerSeanI'm having trouble with faster playing because whenever i get to the fast parts my wrists tense up and I don;t play as fast. This especially happens during the last parts of the tapping portion of eruption. Any Tips?

Without knowing what you're doing now, it's hard to know what's going wrong.

However, if any one muscle group gets too tight, it's a good chance you're using too few muscle groups. Ergonomics in guitar playing is, I think, one of the keys to being good and also enjoying the experience too.

Lots of big players like Eddie Van Halen use a 'floating' approach to speed picking. This would be where your hand/wrist of the picking hand are not touching the guitar at all.

Many also use a 'pinky anchor' type as well (Paul Gilbert, Michael Angelo Batio) where you anchor your pinky below the strings and somewhat/occasionally rest your palm heal on the bridge.

Do you hold the pick like this:
http://beginnerguitarlessonsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/holdingpick.jpg

Or this:
http://www.fretjam.com/image-files/5.jpg

Other things to consider is how tightly you are holding the pick. You shouldn't be gripping of for dear life when speed picking.

Ok...so, things to consider after the above: Your wrist is getting pressure from somewhere so it's a matter of breaking down where. Seems obvious but pay attention to where it's from.

Is it tension that comes from your thumb upwards? Maybe gripping the pick to tightly. Does it come from the other four fingers on your hand and up your forearm? Then you might not be using as many muscle groups as you could/should.

From a personal standpoint, I'm a 'pinky anchor' person. Also, when I pick faster stuff, I tend to not use my wrist muscle much but more rely on a broader motion of my full arm in a small 'sawing' motion with a little movement at the point where I hold the pick. It works for me.

Thing is, there is not a 'right' way to do it. It's based on what is comfortable for you with regard to how your guitar is hung/sits in your lap and things like that too. But this is also why there is no single answer. It's a matter if 'listening' to your body and let it tell you where it's coming from. Once you've got that, you can watch other guitar players pick fast and try some of their techniques.

Mine just sort of came that way for me but not right away. I played for a while and I just fell in to a comfortable way. However, I did not try to pick faster than I could too early in the learning game so it may have come easier fro when when I was ready.

So, some thoughts.